HOUSTON – A brilliant job of coaching by John Fox nearly ended last night in triumph. Instead, it ended with an agonizing 32-29 loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII.

No one can question the work of Fox, who, in his second year as a head coach, guided a Carolina franchise he inherited at 1-15 record to the brink of a championship.

“It’s been a great ride,” said Fox, repeating what he told his team after the loss. “I told them before the game I was proud of them no matter what happened. They fought hard. They just came up a little short.”

Fox surely will be questioned for his decision to eschew an extra point with 12:39 remaining and his team trailing 21-16. The two-point conversion chart all coaches keep in their pocket says a five-point deficit means go for two to reduce the margin to a field goal. But with so much time left, Fox could have waited and probably should have.

The conversion failed, and Fox was forced to try for it again with 6:53 to go. It failed again and those two lost points were critical as the Patriots wouldn’t have gone for two later in the fourth quarter and Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning field goal with four seconds left might have only forced overtime.

It was a rough night for Fox, who looked as it he had a legitimate beef when he challenged an official’s call on the field with 8:52 remaining in the second quarter.

On fourth down from the Panthers’ 38, needing less than one yard for the first down, Antowain Smith was met abruptly at the line of scrimmage by linebacker Will Witherspoon, seemingly for no gain. Replays made it look as if Smith was brought down shy of the first down, but a generous spot by the officials led to a measurement that allowed the Pats to keep the ball.

Fox challenged the spot, but after a delay, referee Ed Hochuli stated that Smith had indeed crossed the 37-yard line. The Panthers were charged with a timeout. What looked to be a gaffe by the officials didn’t cost the Panthers when Vinatieri’s 36-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Shane Burton.